Polls shift: There were attempts to sabotage us, says INEC chairman (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday listed sabotage of its efforts as one of the reasons for the rescheduling of this year’s elections. Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the commission, said three fire incidents in a space of two weeks at INEC offices could not have been coincidental. Yakubu spoke yesterday in Abuja at a meeting with stakeholders to throw more light on why INEC had to postpone the elections,six hours to the accreditation of voters for the presidential and national assembly polls. He said: “we also faced what may well be attempts to sabotage our preparations. Read more
Election postponement: Don’t be deterred, Tinubu tells Nigerians (Punch)
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has urged Nigerians not to be discouraged from coming out to vote on February 23 because of the postponement. Tinubu, who is a Co-Chairman of the APC’s Presidential Campaign Council, said this in a statement he signed and sent to SUNDAY PUNCH by his Media Office in reaction to the poll shift. The former Lagos State governor expressed dissatisfaction with the poll shift, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission ought not to have waited until the election day before taking the decision. Read more
Election postponement: Atiku expresses shock at INEC’s action (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed the shock that the presidential election was postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission a few hours before its conduct. Atiku, who spoke at his residence in Yola, Adamawa State on Saturday, said he had no issue with the sensitive materials that had already been distributed for the election inasmuch as they were kept in safe place. Atiku said, “I am shocked with the postponement of the election. You don’t postpone an election few hours to its conduct. I am going to Abuja to attend an emergency meeting of the PDP and decide the next step. I am not dampened by the postponement. Read more
Election postponement: Don’t shift elections again, foreign observers tell INEC (Punch)
Foreign observers have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to adhere to the new dates it fixed for the conduct of the general elections. The Transition Monitoring Group, Human and Environmental Development Agenda and the Election Observation Platform have said elections postponement constituted a threat to the integrity of the nation’s electoral system. The observers, in their joint statement on the postponement, also called on the commission to inform Nigerians regularly about the preparations for the elections. Read more
Kaduna killings: El-Rufai begs Fulani against reprisals (Nation)
Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State yesterday pleaded with the Fulani community to shun the temptation of engaging in reprisal attacks following the killing of 66 of their population in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state. The governor, at a meeting with stakeholders in Kajuru, wondered why killing had become incessant in Iri axis, including Kuturo, Unguwar Barde, Maro gida among other areas in the local government. “I know it’s the Fulanis that are most affected in this crisis as over a hundred people have been killed, but as Muslims, we have been advised to forgive, to be patient as God avenges every evil,” he said. Read more
Parties, voters attack INEC as commission shifts polls (Punch)
The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Saturday, blamed the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections on bad weather which affected flight operations. The commission however said the decision was not due to security reasons, paucity of funds or influence of some external factors. The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated these in Abuja during a meeting with stakeholders, including a former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon. Read more
Okowa’s aide shot dead in Delta (Punch)
A Special Assistant to Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Youth Development, Mr Lawrence Akpomiemie, has been shot dead by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums. Akpomiemie, known as Ngozi, was reportedly shot dead at 10pm by gunmen in the volatile Ekpan community in the Uvwie Local Government Area of the state on Friday. Recently, Uvwie area has been enmeshed in political crisis between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, leading to the death of about 10 persons. Also, scores of persons have been injured and maimed in the crisis. Read more
Two killed, 13 vehicles destroyed in A’Ibom (Punch)
Two persons were reportedly killed late Friday and 13 vehicles destroyed in a pre-election crisis in the Obot-Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the affected persons died during a gun duel between some hoodlums and security personnel on election duties at Nto Edino, the headquarters of Obot-Akara, during the distribution of sensitive materials for the shifted presidential and National Assembly elections. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said security had been beefed up in the area as fear and confusion enveloped the community. Read more
El-Rufai lied over killing of 66 Kaduna residents — CAN, NEMA (Punch)
The Kaduna State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria on Saturday dismissed claims by Governor Nasir el-Rufai that 66 persons were killed by gunmen in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state. The CAN Chairman in the state, Rev. Joseph Hayab, who stated this in a statement, insisted that the governor deliberately gave out the wrong information to deceive Nigerians and the international community. He said the false alarm as contained in a statement by the governor on Friday evening, was aimed at stirring up violence in the state. Read more
US planes arrive with Venezuelan aid (BBC)
US military planes carrying humanitarian aid for Venezuela have arrived in the Colombian border town of Cucuta. The aid is being stockpiled at the request of the Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, who declared himself interim president last month. President Nicolás Maduro has alleged the aid is part of a US plot. Mr Guaidó says Venezuelan volunteers will carry it across the border on 23 February. Speaking at a news conference in Cucuta, a USAID administrator, Mark Green, said the aid had been requested by Mr Guaidó because Venezuela was in the grip of a growing humanitarian crisis. Read more
Jackie Kennedy’s sister Radziwill dies (BBC)
Lee Radziwill, the socialite and younger sister of former US first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has died at the age of 85, US media report. Radziwill, who became a fashion icon and counted Andy Warhol and Truman Capote among her friends, died at her home in New York on Friday. She had careers in acting, writing, and interior design, and was married three times – including to a Polish prince. Her daughter told the New York Times she had died of natural causes. Read more
CAF to introduce VAR at 2019 AFCON (Vanguard)
The Confederation of African Football, CAF yesterday in Niamey, Niger Republic officially approved the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament set to take place in Egypt from June 19 to July 21, 2019. This will be the first time in the history of the AFCON that VAR will be used. The Video Assistant Referee became famous during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. VAR was also used during the finals of the 2018 Total CAF Champions League between Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia. Read more
Joshua taking on Miller unworthy risk, says Oboh (Vanguard)
Former British and Commonwealth light heavyweight champion, Peter Oboh is in doubt whether the dream fight between the WBA, WBO and IBF World heavy weight champion, Anthony Joshua and the hard-punching WBC champion Deontay Wilder will hold. Speaking to Sunday Vanguard Sports, Oboh said, “we may never witness the mega boxing match come to pass in the first class manner that we all want it to happen”. He observed that with Joshua going to America to take on Jarrell Miller, the much orchestrated match between him and Wilder looks distant. Read more
Man City see off Newport in FA Cup (BBC)
Manchester City reached the FA Cup quarter-finals as they broke Newport County’s resistance to end the League Two side’s memorable run in this season’s competition. Newport, fresh from beating Leicester City and Middlesbrough, produced another strong display in the competition to hold Pep Guardiola’s men at the interval. But two Phil Foden goals and strikes from Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez ended Newport’s hopes and denied them the chance to become the first side from the fourth tier to reach the last eight since 1990. The Welsh side even missed the best chance of the first half, when Ederson produced a diving save to deny Tyreeq Bakinson’s close-range header. Read more